Various forms of tilt-top tables have been devised for working with flat sheet materials. Some employ counterbalance action to facilitate tilting. Others use complex and expensive hydraulic cylinders or electric actuators to move the table top.
Another form of tilt-top table, produced by Bremner Glass Equipment Pty. Limited of Victoria, Australia includes a "scissors" support frame linkage that facilitates tilting movement of its table top between upright and horizontal positions. The particular geometry of the linkage facilitates tilting motion without need of expensive actuators or heavy counterbalances. The linkage extends between the table top and a large rectangular base frame that is wheel suported for transport. The width dimension of the base frame is only slightly less than the corresponding width dimension of the table top. The base frame is necessarily wide to provide pivot points for the scissors linkage so the linkage geometry will permit a relatively smooth, balanced weight transfer of the table top as it is shifted between the horizontal and upright positions. The weight transfer advantages enable a user to easily shift the table top and a heavy sheet of glass between the vertical and horizontal positions.
The "Bremner" tilt-top table has thus had favorable impact in areas requiring handling of heavy sheet material, especially glass. It is desirable, however, to improve portability of such tables and the ability to load and unload sheet material onto and off from the table top.
None of the known forms of tilt top tables combine tilting features with the ability to fold a base support so the table may be stored easily, moved down narrow aisles, loaded into a small truck, carried in an elevator, rolled on a narrow ramp, or wheeled to a convenient refuse area for tilting and cleaning.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a table which combines a scissors tilt action with a narrow base support and brace assembly that can be folded to substantially reduce the overall width dimension of the entire unit to facilitate loading, storage and transport through confined areas, as for example a standard 80" by 28" doorway.
Another object is to provide such a tilt-top table that can be easily lifted from an upright storage and transport condition to a substantially horizontal operative condition without the use of counterweights, hydraulic or electric actuators, or the requirements of a substantial base support to carry the weight of the table top as it is shifted from the upright position to the horizontal operative position.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description, which, taken with the accompanying drawings, disclose a preferred form of the present invention.